Pneumatic action for interior piano-players.



M. CLARK.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR INTERIOR PIANO PLAYERS.

Patented Jan. 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1914.

M. CLARK.

PNEUMATIC' ACTION FOR INTERIOR PI ANO PLAYERS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE24. 1914.

1,169,126, Patented Jan. 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 4 MQWR fizz/2222752."

f shelves.

NITED STATES PATENT orrion.

MnLvrLLE LABK, or; CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB. T0 MELVILLE CLARK PIANOco rANY, or cnrcaeo, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLIuoI PNEUMATIC ACTIONFOR INTERIOR PIANO-PLAYERS.

Application filed une 24., 1914. Serial No. 847,008.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVILLE .CLARK, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the'county of CookandState of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements inPneumatic Actions for In terior Piano-Players, of which the following isa specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction ofpneumatic action for an interior piano player ,mechanism.

It consists in the elements and features of construction shown anddescribed as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a pianoequipped with a pneumatic action embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is avertical fore-and-aft section at the line 22 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asection at the line- 33 on Fig. 2, showing a rearelevation of thepneumatic action. Fig. 4 is a section at the line 44 on Fig. 2. Fig.

5. is a detail view of movable supporting connections employed forcertain of the motor pneumatics. Fig. 6 is a section at the line 66 onFig. 2, showing the interior of the primary pneumatic chamber and the arrangement of primary pneumatics therein.

Fig. 7 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification forstriking the manual keys.

Heretofore, it has been commonly customary in the construction ofpneumatic actions for interior player mechanisms to mount the motorpneumatic supporting shelves upon the primary pneumatic. cham her with aview to forming the ducts lead ing from the valve chambers andcontrolled by the primarypneumatics in the substance of the walls of theprimary pneumatic chamber and the motor pneumatic supporting volvesexpensiye work in the formation of the ducts, glu1ng up the severallayers of which the partsare necessarily formed in order to embody theseducts in the substance,

and mounting the parts which are not glued with great care as to theair-tight packing at the joints,that is, between their-contiguoussurfaces. This mode of construction also makes the position of the motorpneumatics" unchangeable and necessitates the construction of a specialaction for each dif- 5pecification of Letters Patent.

This method of construction inatented Jan. 25, 1916..

ferent' make'of piano, by reason of the difference in the arrangement ofspacing in dliferent piano actions of the keys at their rear part, wherethe'strikers of. the pneumatic player action reach and act upon the pano keys or the striker or elements of the hammer action of the piano,which are similarly varied in their spacing in different flexible tubeconnection from the primary pneumatic valve chambers to pneumatics.

'In the structure shown in the drawings, the primarypneumatic chamber,1, which has an exhaust air trunk connection, 2, convenien-tly made ateither end as shown, has mounted within it primary pneumatics, 3, eachsupported upon a duct bar, 4:, theseduct bars being extended between,and rigidly connected to, top and bottom rails, 5 and 6,

p the motor .of the chamber, 1, and having nipples, 7,

which provide for connection of the ducts of said bars respectively bymeans of flexible tubes, 8,,with the tracker ducts, extended through theupper rail, 5, and so serving as hollow dowel connections for the ductbars with the rail, and rendering of secondary importance the glue jointwhich is preferablyalso formed between the upper ends of the bars withthe rail 7 The lower ends of the duct bars are secured to the lowerrail, 6; by screws, or in any other mechanically convenient manner. Theprimary pneu matics, 3, of bellows form have their lateral foldsprotruding outward so as to obtain the largest air capacity withinagiven lateral dimension. -The bars, 4, upon which to be wider than thestiff vibrating member of the pneumatic, and the lateral foldsof 'thepneumatic, therefore, overhang or extend beyond the lateral edges of thebars.

1 which they must be restricted.

lull

Advantage is taken of this to reduce to the minimum the dimensions ofthe primary pneumatic chamber, 1, which is accomplished by makingalternate primary pneumatics hinged at their upper ends, and the otheralternate pneumatics hinged at their lower ends, the valves which theyrcspectivcly carry being attached to their free or vibrating ends, andslightly staggering the bars, l, in the,chamber so that the lateralfolds oi the primary pneumatics lap by each other without interference.By this means the height of the primary pneumatic chamber is reduced toscarcely more than the length of one primary pneumatic, while the valvesand valve chambers are still kept in two rows, as is necessary in orderto acc0mmod-ate them in the longitudinal space to The very slightthickening or deepening fore-and-aft of the primary pneumatic chamberrequired the ports, 10, leading to the outer air are made in strips, 14,let, one for the primary pncumatics hinged at the upper end, and theother for those hinged at the lower end. The middle layer, 12, hasducts, 15, leading from the valve chambers toward the lower edge of saidmiddle layer, 12. These ducts laterally closed by the layers, 13, 13,extend to the lower edge of the middle layer, 12,

where they are all closed by a longitudinal bar, 16. This bar has ducts,17, registering at the upper side of said bar with one out of three ofthe ducts formed in the middle layer leading from the valve chambers,and said ducts, 17 lead out through the rear edge of said bar, 16, wherethey are furni shed. with nipples, 17, for connecting flexible ducts,18, which lead to the motor pneumatics mounted on the upper shelf, ashereinafter described. The front layer, 13, has apertures registeringwith the lower end portions of the ducts leading from the remainingvalve chambers; and-upon the forward side of the I air chamber there ismounted a strip, 20, having angle ducts, 21. which at the rear surfaceofthe strip register with the apertures, 19, making communication withthe ducts leading from said remaining valve chambers.- The verticalmembers of said angle ducts are provided with nipples, 17 for receivingfleiiible tubes, 18, .which connect w th the motor pneumatics to becontrolled by the primaries whose valve chambers are in the lower row.

Below the primary pneumatic chamber" there are mounted, preferablyrigidly wlth said chamber, shelves in succession one below another, forsupporting the motor pneumatics in three banks or levels as is customaryin order to all'ot to each motor pneumatic sutficient space right andleft for an operative width. The structure shown is specificallydesigned ,to operate by upstroke upon the wippens of the hammer actionof the piano, and themotor pneumaticsare therefore mounted upon theunder side of the shelves, having their lower walls eonstituting thevibrating members for striking upward upon the wippens. As illustrated,therefore, there are three shelves or supporting bars, 25 upon the underside of each of which .there are mounted motor pnenmatics, 26. Strikers,27, are connected with the moving members of the pneumatics, 26,projecting upward from their con nection, whichis made in the usualmanner, and extending through a guide bar, 28, for positioningaccurately their upper ends carrying the cushioned striker heads, 29,for acting upon the wippensi Inorder that the motor pneumatics may beproperly positioned to locate and spacethe strikers respectively,according to the spacing of the wippens in the particular piano actionto which the player action is applied, said motor pneumatics, or thoseof them corresponding to the portion of the hammer action in which thereis usually variation in respect to the spacing of the wippens in pianosof different 1nakes,, are secured to the shelves or supporting bars in amanner permitting them to be adjusted right and left thereon; and inorder that such adjustment maybe practicable, the flexible tubesconnecting the motor pneumatics with the ducts leading'to the valvechambers controlled by the corresponding primary pneumatics must haveconsiderable length, so that the change of distance from the endconnected withthe motor pneumatic to the end connected with the nippleleading from the duct in the primary pneumatic chamber wall, caused bymoving the motor pneumatic, shall be .small relatively to the totallength of said tube. The location ofthe point of connection of the tubewith the motor pneumatic at a suitable distance from adequate for thepurpose; but with respect to the motor pneumatics mounted upon the matic'chamber,,and making the connection into the motor pneumatic at its rearend, so

,that the distance between the two end connec'tions of the tube isnearly the entire length of the'motor pneumatic.

As a means for mountingjand securing the motor pneumatics on the shelvesor longitudinal supports so that they may be moved there-along to adjustthem-with respect to the spacing of the hammer action or keys of thepiano, there ismounted upon the edge of the shelf a metal channel strip,30,,Ymade by folding a strip of thin metal longitudinally, the two pliesbeing sepa- 20.

rated by a distance sufficient to admit without binding the vertical lipof a fitting, 32, which is secured upon the outer surface of the fixedmember of the motor pneumatic at the portion thereof which protrudesbeyond the edge of the shelf. This fitting, 32, is hooked shaped incross section, and the terminal hook lip, 35., is the portion whichenters between the plies of the channel, 30, thereby hooking the motorpneumatic to the shelf. The channel device is secured to the edge of theshelf by screws, 33, which eX- tend through both plies near the fold andat a distance from the open edge of the chan-.

nel atleast as-great as the distance to which the hooklip, 34, of thefitting, 32, can intrude into the channel. By drawing thesescrews-tightly, the channel is clamped together. upon the intrudedhooklip of the fitting, 32, and thereby the motor pneumatics are heldfixedly. By slacking the screws, 33, a little, the grip of the channelmember upon the hook lip of the fitting, 32, 5 is released, and themotor-pneumatics can be moved along the channel to a new position andagain secured by tightening the screws. As many screws, 33, may be usedin the length of the fitting as found necessary to attach it securely tothe shelf and to clamp it to engage the hook lips of the fitt1ngs,i32.

Inorder that the strikers'may be provided with guidance near theirhammer ends at all the different positions to which the motorpnei'nnaticsmay be adjusted as above described, 1t1s necessary that theguides for the Strikersshould be also adjustable right and left, .orelse the strikers-will have to be disconnected Whenever the. motor pneu'matics are adjusted to new position and the strikersieinserted after thechange is made through'fia. new guide aperture correspond-- ing to thechanged position of the motor pneumatic. .This latter method is feasibleand i iy be employed with the structure shown,. hut the disconnecting ofthe strikers from the motor pneumatics is rendered unnecessary by thespecific construction shown,

- which will .now be described, Upon the rear edge of the upper shelf,there is mounted a I .channel bar, 40; opening rearward and he 7 ingthischannel at a little distance from it is a channel membermade of astrip, 41, of

first fold, and-then at right-angles in the opposite direction at 41,into parallel position, forming a channel, 41, of the same '30.. widthas the channel of the member, 40, and facing the latter. Little bolts,42, are set through the two plies, 41 to clamp them to gether andthereby closeup or'narrow the, channel, 41 5 Between the two channelmembers and engaged'in their channels there are positioned individualguide pieces, 45, preferably of some .soft material, such as felt, forthis striker rods, each of said guide'pieces having an aperture, 45*,for the rod through which it may play freely. These guide piecesnormally fit loosely enough inthe two channel members so as to. slidetherein when the striker rods are moved along the channel members inadjusting the motor pneumatics 'to theirproper respective positions.When they are in proper position,'the bolts, 42, being tightened, thelips of the channel, 41, 4 are closed together and grip the guidepieces, holding them securely against acci' dental displacement. -Thechannel member,

40, is secured directly to the rear edge of the shelf byscrews throughits bottom web, and the channel member, 41, is secured to the shelf byhorizontal arms, 46, extended from the lower lip thereof at the ends;and it is further supportedintermediate the ends by bracket pieces, 47,secured to the under side of the shelf and extending out under thechannel member, 41, having ends, 47, turned up to engage outside thelower right angle of said channel member. Positions may be chosen forthese supports, 47 where they will ,not interfere with any necessary adjustment of the motor pneumatics; but if in exceptional instances theyshould be found to interfere with such adjustments, they can be easilyrepositioned on the under side of the shelf, being secured thereto bywood screws. 12 0 In Fig. 7,-the distinguishing features of thisinvention are shown embodied in a pneumatic action having the strikersadapt ed to operate downward upon the keys, instead of upward upon thewippens of the hammer action. The chief difference in constructionconsists in that the motor pneumatics are secured to the upper side ofthe shelves, instead of to theunder side, in order to accommodate thestroke inthe oppositelao direction from that required in theconstruction shown in the previous figures, and that the principalportion of the length of the motor pneumatics projects "forward from.the vertical plane of the forward side or the the motor pneumaticrequires only a simple angle fitting, 49, which is fastened by itshorizontal lip to the under side of the motor pneumatic, its verticallip engaging the channel oi the member. In this form, another slightchange; due to the changed position and direction of stroke of the motorpneumatics consists in making the fixed member of the motor pneumaticextend beyond the hinge line of lie-vibrating mem her so as to have asurface exposed upward, through which the duct, 50, which leads into theinterior of the pneumatic can open upward and receive the nipple, 51,for connecting the flexible tube leading from the proper .valve chamberin the wall of the primary pneumatic chamber.

I claim 1. In a pneumatic action for piano players, a primary exhaustchamber and a row oi primary pneumatics therein of bellows :lorm,alternate pneumatics being ofiset slightly from each other in thedirection of their expansion and contraction, whereby the bellows sidesof consecutive pneumatics,

may overlap without interference.

2. "in a pneumatic action for piano players, a primary exhaust chamberand a row otprimary pneumatics therein of bellows form,

and valves in rows at the moving ends of their vibratingmembersrespectively, actuated thereby, alternate pneumatics being hinged atopposite ends, whereby the consecutive valves in each row inay be spacedbetween centers as far as the space allotted to the width of two primarypneumatics.

3. In a pneumatic action for'piano players, a primary exhaust chamberand a row of primary pneumatics therein of bellows form, valvesat themoving ends of the vibrating members 'of said pneumatics respectivelyactuated thereby, alternate pneumatics being. hinged at opposite endsand offset slightly from each other in the direction of their -xpansionand contraction.

in a pneumatic action for piano players, a primary pneumatic chamber anda v horizontal row of primary pneumatics therein of bellows form,comprising pneumatics hm 'ed at the uner end alternatin with pneumaticslunged at the lower ends, those nating said. ducts for connection offiexible tubes leading to motor pneumatics to be con-" trolled by theprimary pneumatics, respectivcly. I

5. In a pneumatic action for piano players, motor pneumatics and a fixedsupport for the same along which transversely to their lengths the motorpneumatics are movabl'y distributed; strikers connected to the vibratingmembers of the motor pneumatics respectively; guide pieces for thestrikers respectively; a member in which the guide pieces are slidablymounted, said member being adapted and provided with associated meansfor clamping the guide pieces releasably to permit them to be moved tonew positions along said member.

6. In a pneumatic action for piano play-.

ers, motor pneumatics and a fixed support ably distributed; strikersconnected to the vibrating members of the motor pneumatics respectively;guide pieces for the strikers respectively; a support for said guidepieces comprising two channel bars having their channels facing eachother for receiving the opposite ends of said guide pieces, one of saidchannel bars being compressible to diminish the width of thechannel-opening for gripping the guide pieces between the marginal lipsthereo'li 7. In a pneumatic action for piano players, motor pneumaticsand a fixed support for the same along which transversely to theirlength the motor pneumatics are movably distributed; means for securingthe motor pneumatics to the support, comprising a channel'member mountedon the support which is compressible to diminish the width of thechannel, and fittings secured to the motor pneumatics respectivelyhaving lips adapted to enter said channels when the motor pneumatics arelodged on the support, and means for releasably comprcsing the channelmember to grip and release said lips.

8. In a pneumatic action for piano play ers, motor pneumatics and afixed support for the same'along which transversely to their length themotor pneun'iatics are movably distributed; means for securing the motorpneumatics to the support, comprising a channel member mounted on the.support which is compressible to diminish the width for the same alongwhich transversely to their lengths the motor pneumatics are mo'v of thechannel, and fittings secured to the motor pneumatics respectively,havin'glips adapted to enter said channels when the motor pneumatics arelodged on the support; and screwswhich secure the channel member Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents eabh, by addressing theably compress it to grip and release said lips 10 of the fittings.

In testimony whereoflI have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois,this 2201 day f jf of June, 1914:. t is MELVILLE CLARK.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. BURTON,

M. GERTRUDE Any.

commissioneifof/Patents;

Washington, D. 0.

